[1] Dinsdale enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force on 21 November 1941, to fight in the Second World War.
[1] He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross during World War II for his service as a de Havilland Mosquito night-fighter pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force, having destroyed four enemy aircraft, including the first Mistel composite "piggyback" aircraft.
Dinsdale was a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) from 1951 until his death in 1982, being first elected in a 1951 by-election with an upset victory to take a seat previously held by the Liberals.
Dinsdale worked tirelessly for many causes, including First Nations, international human rights, immigrant Canadians and most notably disabled persons.
The Walter Dinsdale Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in developing technologies that improve the lives of the disabled, is named in his honour.
His son Rolf ran as a Liberal Party of Canada candidate in a federal by-election in Brandon—Souris in 2013,[4] losing narrowly to Larry Maguire.